sheffield



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet '.1 G. V. SHEFFIELD.

PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

INVENTOR 6X25 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

(No Model.)

G. V. SHEFFIELD. PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

m N 1% A Y a? m M\ k WITNESSES: 97 4? fiwm z UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE V. SHEFFIELD, OF SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LEIVIS SICKLER, OF SAME PLACE.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,302, dated. December 11, 1888.

Application filedDecember 31, 1887. Serial No. 259,477. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be itknown that I, GEoReE V. SHEFFIELD, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Printing-Telegraph, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatieal view of my improved printing-telegraph. Fig. 2 a side elevation showing the general arrangement of the magnets, steamcylinders, and whistle. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus forproducing a single character or letter, showing the connection therewith of the transmitting apparatus. Fig. 4: is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same; and Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the paper-feeding mechanism.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the views.

The object of my invention is to construct a machine for transmitting n'lessages tele graphically, so as to deliver the message in the form of a printed strip or stencil.

The object of my invention is, also, to provide an attachment for making an audible signal for each letter printed, so that the mes sage may be read by sound, if desired.

My invention consists in a transmitter formed of two rollers adapted to carry forward a perforated sheet of paper; a series of spring-actuated fingers held in contact with one of the rollers ot' the paper; a number of line-wires corresponding to the number of fingers in the transmitter; a receiver consisting of a series of steam-cylimlers arranged in a circle and connected with printing-levers; an electro-magnctic device connected with each cylinder and with one of the line-wires, and a series of whistles connected with the steamcylinders and adapted to be operated by the exhaust, all as hereinafter more fully described.

The transmitter mechanism consists of the er, I), containing a perforated strip, a, of paper, representing the message, and a series of fingers, b, insulated from each other and resting upon the lower roller, B, or upon the pa per strip a, passing between the rollers A B. Each finger Z) is drawn down by a spring, 0,

so that when the paper passes through the rollers each finger Z) is made to drop onto the lower roller, B, wherever an opening in the paper strip a occurs in the path of the said finger. The roller Bis connected with one pole of the battery, the remaining pole of the battery being connected with the ground-wire (Z, and each finger b is connected with one of the line-wires E, there being as many linewires as there are characters in the code.

The receiving-instrument is composed of a series of devices which are approximately alike; therefore a description of one of them will answer for all. In the center of the receix'ing-instrume11t is arranged an anvil, F, for receiving the impression of all the printing-levers G, they are thrown down in the manner presently to be described, the printing-levers being arranged in a circle with the type or stamp representing the letter placed so as to strike in the center of the anvil with their tops all in one direction. Each printing-lever G is pivoted to a support, e, attached to the base-piece II. To the same base-piece is secured a standard, f, which supports the ste:mi-c vlinder I, containing a piston, .I. The rod g, attached to the piston J, is provided with a connecting-rod, 72, which is pivoted to So the printing-lever G at a point above its fulcrum. In the bottom of the cylinder I are two ports, 1' Inthe top of the cylinder I is an opening, 7:, in which is inserted a plugvalve, Z, adapted to close the port j. The valve Z is connected with the lever in, pivoted in an car, 11, at the top of the cylinder and extending rearwardly. To the free end of the lever m is attached a rod, 0, carrying at its lower en d a weight, p, and to the said lever m, ata point above the valve 7, is secured an armature, q.

To the head of the cylinder I is attached an arm, '1', which extends upward with its extremity above the pivoted end of the leverm. 5 To the arm r is secured an electro-1nagnet,K, whose poles are located above the armature q. Each magnet K is connected with one of the line-wires E. The port j communicates by a pipe, I, with the steam-supply, and a too pipe, to, leading from the port 2, is connected with a whistle, n, or, in. lieu thereof, with any suitable sound-producin g device. To the ear or at the top of thecylinder I is secured a rod, to, which extends forward and forms a guide for the spiral spring Z). To the.printin ':lever G is pivoted a rod, 0, provided with a stirrup, (1, having an apertured cross-bar, 6, adapted to slide upon the rod a. The spring b abuts upon a post, f, secured to the frame of the machine, and tends to raise the printing-lever G into a vertical position, and opposes the action of the steam upon the piston J in the cylinder I.

To the standard F of the anvil F is fitted a flanged sleeve, L, in the flange of which are inserted rods g, which extend through the base of the machine, and are surrounded by springs h, which tend to draw the rods and the sleeve downward. To the top of the standard F of the anvil F is secured a table, ill, having upon one side of the standard F a slide, through which passes one arm, 1', of a plate, N, the other arm of which rests hori' zontally upon the table H. In the arm 2" of the plate N is formed an oblique slot,

through which projects a stud, k, from the sleeve L. The horizontal part of the L-shaped plate N carries a spur, Z, which is adapted to engage the strips m n of paper running over the table M. The said paper strips pass through a guide, 0, which compels them to move over the anvil F. The extremity of the guide 0 is twisted and provided with a longitudinal slot, 13, as shown in Fig. 4.

To the support 6 is pivoted a lever, 0, one end of which extends under the flange of the sleeve L, the opposite end being connected with the slotted plate q, arranged under the piston-rod g. The slot of the plate q is arranged obliquely, and to the piston-rod g is attached a slotted arm, 0", which embraces the plate q and carries a pin, .9, which passes through the slot of the plate q, and tends to move the said plate up or down as it is carried outwardly or inwardly by the rod g.

The operation of my improved printing-telegraph is as follows: Astrip of paper, a,which is perforated in any well-known way, so as to represent the message, is placed upon the roller D and passed between the rollers A B, and as the roller A is made to revolve, by means of a crank placed upon its shaft, a current from the battery is sent in one direc tion to the ground and in the other direction through the roller B, through the finger 1), which is in contact with the said roller, through one of the perforations of the paper, through the line-wire E to the magnet K of the distant receiving-instrument, and thence to the ground. The armature q is drawn upwardly, opening the valve Z, admitting steam to the cylinder I, which pushes the piston J forward, carrying the lever G over, bringing the type or punch carried by the lever into contact with the paper strip on and against the pressure of the spring I), thus cutting in the paper strip the stencil of the letter or character, the lower strip of paper, 1'), serving as a backing for the upper strip, 071. \Vhen the piston J passes the port 1', the steam contained by the cylinder I escapes through the pipe to to the whistle n, and as soon as the steam escapes the spring I) returns the lever G and the piston J to the point of starting, the valve 1 having been closed when the main-line circuit was interrupted. The return of the piston J, by virtue of the engagement of the pin 8' with the slot in the plate q, raises the inner end of the lever 0, thereby pushing up the sleeve L and moving upward the pin 71; in the slot j of the plate N. The rising of the plate N brings the spur Z into engagement with the strips of paper on n, and the further upward novei'nent of the sleeie L, by the engagement of the pin 7; with the oblique slot 11 causes the plate N an d the paper strips m a to move forward the width of one letter, and when the next aperture in order upon the paper strip a passes one of the fingers 1) another contact is made, completing a circuit through another of the line-wires E and through another of the magnets K, thus producin another impression in the paper in the manner already described; also blowing another one of the whistles "U, thereby producing another sound of a different tone, representing the character or letter impressed or cut in the paper strip m. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a printing-telegraph receiving-instrument, the combination, with the printing mechanism, of a steam actuated piston, a steam-cylinder provided with supply and exhaust ports, and an electro-magnetic valvecontroller, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-telegraph receiving-instrument, the combination, with a series of printing-levers carrying dies representing characters, a series of steam-cylinders provided with pistons connected with the printing-levers, one to each printing-lever, of a vretractile spring for returning the printing-lever and the piston to the point of starting, a val ve adapted to admit steam to the cylinder, and an armature-lever and an electro-magnet for operating the valve, substantially as described.

3. In a steam -actuated receiving-instrument for printing-telegraphs, the combination, with the piston and piston-rod of the steam-cylinder, of a feed-lever adapted to be operated by the movement of the piston-rod, and paper-feeding mechanism arranged to be worked by the feed-lever, substantially as described.

4. In a printing-telegraph, the combination of the steanrcylinder I, provided with the ports M, the valve Z, adapted to close the por j, the armature q, connected with the valve 1, the electro-magnet K, arranged to act upon the armature q, the piston J, the piston-rod g, the connecting-rod 72, the printinglever G, the rod 0, provided with the stirrup d, the spring b, and the anvil F, for receiv ing the impressions of the printing-lever, substal'itially as described.

5. In a priMing-telegraph, the combination of a steam-cylinder, I, provided with the ports 2 j, the valve 7, adapted to close the port j, the armature-lever m, carrying the Weight )1, the armature q, attached to the armaturelever m, the eleetro-magnet K, arranged to act upon the arn'iature q, the piston J, fitted to the cylinder I and adapted to open and close the port 2 the Whistle I", connected with the port 1', the piston'rod g, the printing-lever G, the feed-lever 0, provided with the slotted plate q, the arm 7'', carrying the pin 8, engaging the slotted plate q, the anvil F, the sliding spring-actuated sleeve L, provided with the stud k, the table M, the diagonally slotted plate N, carrying the point Z and the paper-guide 0, substantially as described.

6. In a printing-telegraph system, the C0111- bination, with a series of steam-cylinders,I, provided with the steam-supply port j and exhaust-port 1?, the valves Z, armattire-levers m, provided with the armatures q, and the electro-inagnets K, adapted to act upon the arinatures q, of the finger Z), connected electrically with the magnets K, the conductingroller B, connected electrically with the current-generator, a perforated strip of paper, (1, adapted to make and break the connection between the fingers I) and the roller B, and the line and local electrical connections, substantiall y as described.

GEORGE V. SHEFFIELD. lVitnesses:

EDW. M. CLARK, EDGAR TATE. 

